Tangled
by Gig in the Sky
Summary: LL. Post So...Good Talk with general spoilers for Pulp Friction.


**Disclaimer: **You know how this goes. I own nothing. ASP & Co. own all.

**Spoilers:** General spoilers for _Pulp Friction_. Nothing specific, since the spoilers are non-specific.

**Rating:PG-13:** for suggestive language.

**Notes:** Thanks to M, who keeps telling me to post my stuff. Please review, it makes me happy.

* * *

It was hard to get untangled from Lorelai Gilmore.

Her arms were wrapped around his waist; her head rested on his chest and one leg was thrown over him, pulling him closer to her. He sighed and turned his head to read the numbers on the furry clock beside him. It was way too early to wake her and ask her to come with him to open the diner, but he didn't want to leave her.

Lorelai shifted slightly and he turned back to her, watching her in the dark for a long moment. He knew she was awake when the rhythm of her breathing changed.

Luke let his fingers brush her cheek softly and thus, felt her relax.

"I'm here," he whispered reassuringly. He leaned forward and let his lips brush hers. "I have to open the diner," he added with regret.

Lorelai held her breath.

"Sleep," he murmured against her mouth.

"Stay," she requested and his heart broke at the sound of her voice.

He sighed.

"I have done enough damage to my business lately," he said regretfully, pulling away and falling back onto the corner of pillow she allowed him.

Lorelai's eyes widened.

"You must have heard," Luke said incredulously.

"I think everyone was trying to be sensitive," she said.

"Taylor, too?"

"I think he feared Rory's wrath after she confiscated all of the ribbons," Lorelai smiled. She grew serious, "I heard things, but I was trying to avoid thinking about you."

She turned away from him then, but Luke was quick to notice and reached up to turn on the lamp beside him. Lorelai shut her eyes against the light, which had the extra benefit of allowing her to keep the tears at bay.

But her shoulders shook, as though finally giving out under the weight of what had been upon them. Luke dropped his head to them and kissed along the bare curve of one.

"I'm sorry," he whispered against her warm, pliant skin. "I know that we still need to talk. Do you want to come with me?"

Lorelai smiled ruefully.

"As much as I don't want to let you out of my sight," she admitted, "I don't think I can move right now."

Luke grinned wickedly and she chuckled a little. "Yeah, that too."

"Come by later?" he asked, dropping another kiss on her shoulder.

Lorelai's hand found his beneath the covers and she squeezed it. He squeezed back, but when he tried to get out of bed, she held tight.

"I don't want you to go," she said again. "I'm afraid that when I get to the diner later, I'll realize that this was all a dream."

"It's not a dream," Luke promised her. His lips brushed her forehead.

"It seems like it," she mused. "It seemed like it came out of nowhere. What changed?"

Luke hesitated a second too long and Lorelai's forehead creased.

"I missed you," he told her. "I love you, and I just missed you. That's what it came down to."

"And?" she pressed.

"And I guess I finally understood that you were missing me as much as I missed you." He avoided her eyes and sat up in bed. He pulled on his boxers first, before struggling with the jeans he found near the doorway.

"Did Rory come talk to you?" she asked quietly. "I asked her not to, but she left really suddenly last night, and at first I thought it was just because she wanted to get back to Logan, but…"

Luke shook his head. "Not Rory."

"Sookie, then?" Lorelai pressed. "Because I know that she worried about me becoming a spinster couch-potato lady."

"No."

Lorelai frowned and sat up in bed, hugging her knees to herself, and resting her chin on them.

"Luke, what happened?"

Luke pulled his t-shirt over his head and started hunting for the flannel, taking some time to figure out what to say to her.

She waited for him.

"I need you to know that I came here because I wasn't right without you," he began, moving back to the bed. "I knew that something had to change, but I was afraid to put myself on the line for you again. I am tired of ending up feeling like a fool."

"And yet here you are."

"Here I am," he said softly. "I love you, Lorelai. That's all. I just love you." He shrugs.

"So I had to choose. I chose you."

"And I chose you," Lorelai whispered, her eyes shining.

"I know. I think I always knew, but I needed to hear it. So when she told me, it was like the last piece of the puzzle fell into place. It wasn't because she told me that she'd stay out of it, I want you to know that. It's because she said out loud what I already knew."

He watched her face hesitantly, watching for anger to flash like blue lightening. Her face remained impassive though, which only served to worry him more.

"My mother," she finally said, and her voice was brittle.

"I didn't come to you because of her," Luke said firmly. "I didn't, Lorelai. I know that the timing would make it seem that way. I know it looks bad, but I want you to know that I tried coming to you a million times. I only agreed to build the sets for the play because I thought that maybe if we were forced to be in the same room together, we could finally be forced to deal with it."

"You came here now," she sighed.

"Yeah." His face fell. "You don't believe me."

Lorelai shook her head, her hair falling into her face like a curtain.

"I have no right to question you," she finally said. "You're here, after everything I did; after everything I didn't do."

"I'm here because I love you," he smiled. "That's all."

"Okay."

"Okay?" Luke looked at her in surprise.

She nodded. "Yes. I don't want to fight with you anymore, Luke. I'm tired. I just want us to be okay. I'll deal with my mother."

Luke frowned with concern.

"I know she told you that she wouldn't interfere, but she's not going to welcome you with open arms, either. As long as that's the case, she and I have nothing to discuss."

"Lorelai…"

"You have to open the diner," she reminded him.

"Maybe I can call Cesar," he hedged.

Lorelai shook her head. "No, it's fine." She smiled for his benefit. "I'll see you in a few hours."

"Are you sure?"

"Go!" she laughed. "I need my beauty sleep, you know. I haven't had nearly enough of it lately."

Luke sat on the edge of the bed and reached for her, letting his fingers trace her features. He leaned forward and kissed her eyes closed.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered against her, his breath fanning her eyelashes.

"You're a little biased," she smiled and snuggled down into the bed.

"I'll see you soon."

"Not just in my dreams," she sighed and his heart ached for her again.

* * *

The diner was quiet and Luke reflected with some shame that he probably only had himself to blame for that. However, as the morning progressed, word started getting out that Luke was actually making edible food again, and by the time Lane arrived for her shift, the diner was mostly full.

"What's going on here?" she whispered to Andrew, who sat at the counter, chewing on a strip of bacon.

"I don't know," Andrew shrugged. "But I'm not complaining."

Lane rounded the counter and ducked into the storage room to put away her coat and bag. There, she found Luke pulling out some stock.

"Hi boss," she said tentatively, hanging her coat on the hook.

"Hey." He was curt and avoided her eyes.

Lane shook her head, deciding that Luke must have just figured that he'd better not lose his business as well as Lorelai.

She smiled hesitantly at him and left him alone.

Luke smiled to himself and followed her back into the diner.

The bell above the door chimed and Luke couldn't keep the grin from his face.

"Coffee's on the house," he announced. A few people looked up in surprise and Lane nearly dropped the plate she was holding.

"You'd say anything to get me back here, wouldn't you?" she teased, her blue eyes sparkling.

He couldn't stop smiling and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lane's eyes darting between them. The diner had fallen silent.

"Coffee, coffee, coffee," Lorelai begged and he laughed and poured her a cup.

She approached the counter and then came around it, looping her arms around his neck.

"So, it wasn't a dream?" she murmured against his lips.

Luke shook his head.

"Nope."

"I love you," she whispered and it sent a tingle along his spine.

"I love you, too. You're not supposed to be behind the counter," he growled.

She laughed and reached behind him, giving his ass a tight squeeze.

"How am I going to do that otherwise?" she whispered huskily.

Luke rolled his eyes.

"Sit. Drink your coffee."

Lorelai obliged, perching on a stool directly in front of her, before inhaling the aroma of the coffee.

He snorted back his amusement as he kept his eyes trained on her.

When she took the first sip, her eyes rolled back and she clutched at the edge of the counter.

"Oh my God."

She opened her eyes and dropped her voice when she told him that it was almost as good as their activities the night before.

Luke felt his cheeks grow warm, but he beamed at her and let his hand cover hers for a moment.

"Are you hungry?" he asked her after he'd finished serving the guy next to her.

"Starving," she admitted.

"Should have known." He rolled his eyes.

Lane approached them cautiously.

"Lorelai?" she asked with some measure of disbelief, as though this was some figment of her imagination, or worse yet, someone Luke had convinced to dress up to _look_ like Lorelai.

"Hey, kid," Lorelai grinned, turning to her daughter's friend.

"Wow," Lane breathed. "I, um, wow. You're here."

Lorelai laughed.

"Rory will fill you in," she told her. "I called her this morning after you left," she confessed to Luke.

He nodded.

"Oh, okay," Lane said. Impulsively, she reached forward and hugged Lorelai, then rounded the corner and planted a kiss on Luke's cheek. He looked embarrassed and dropped his head to hide the smile on his lips. Lorelai caught it though and giggled.

"Wow," Lane said again. Her eyes danced. "Hey, Luke?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I have a raise?"

He looked perplexed and Lane laughed.

"I figured now would be the most advantageous time to ask," she winked.

"We'll talk about it later," he grumbled.

"I'll work on him for you," Lorelai said to Lane in a stage whisper.

He rolled his eyes at the two of them and Lane beamed happily. "Can I take a break?"

"You just got here!"

"To call Rory?"

"Fine," Luke allowed. "Wait."

He narrowed his eyes at Lorelai. "How much did you tell her?"

She grinned. "Just enough."

Lane disappeared into the back to retrieve her cell phone and then headed outside with it to make her call. Luke filled a few more coffee cups and took some orders before he returned to her side.

Neither of them could hide their happiness and when the bell above the door jingled again, Luke looked up, prepared to ask Lane if she could hold down the fort for a few hours. Instead, he met Emily Gilmore's eyes across the diner.

Lorelai turned her head and he watched her jaw tighten upon seeing her mother.

"Leave," she said quietly.

For a moment, Luke thought he saw a glimmer of fear in Emily's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a steely determination.

She nodded curtly. "So, you did as I asked," she said to Luke, ignoring Lorelai's glare.

"Did you hear me, Emily?" Lorelai asked and Luke flinched at her use of her mother's proper name.

"I'd think you'd be in a much better mood, Lorelai," Emily said unflinchingly.

"Why?" Lorelai asked. "Because you made Luke come back to me? Is that it?"

The older woman's eyes darkened.

"There is no reason for you to treat me as though I'm a leper, Lorelai Gilmore. I am your mother. I was doing what I thought was best, as any good mother would."

"As any good mother would?" Lorelai repeated incredulously.

"Yes." Emily held her ground. "You have made irresponsible choices over the years and this entire family has suffered from the repercussions of those choices. I was trying to save all of us, Luke included, some heartache when you inevitably ended up doing what you've always done."

"What I've always done?" The repetition seemed to be Lorelai's coping mechanism now and Luke watched the two of them warily, not moving from his spot behind the counter.

"Oh, Lorelai," Emily sighed with frustration. "How many times have you ruined a relationship because you were still hung up on Christopher?"

Lorelai was struggling to maintain her composure, Luke could see.

"How dare you?" she asked her mother in a cold voice. "You have seen the hell that Christopher has put me through over the years. There was even a time when you asked him to leave me alone. Do you know that I actually believed for that moment that you might truly be concerned about my happiness?"

Lorelai turned to Luke apologetically and reached for her bag. "I'm sorry, I have to get out of here. I know you can't leave, so I'll talk to you later, okay?"

He opened his mouth to tell her that he'd have Lane keep an eye on things; that he'd go with her wherever she needed to go, but Emily spoke instead.

"Christopher is Rory's father."

"Yes!" Lorelai cried. "_Rory's_ father. That is their relationship. Not mine."

"It has never once mattered to you that that girl is illegitimate!" Emily said furiously.

"Okay, folks, your breakfast is on me," Luke told a hushed diner. "I'm going to have to ask you all to leave."

A few people grumbled but gathered their things and a few minutes later, the diner was empty with the exception of the three of them.

Lorelai glared at her mother.

"How dare you? How _dare_ you?" she asked her mother, trembling with rage. "Rory has _always_ come first. I spent years alone because I didn't want my relationships to impact on her. Every time Christopher came and went, I kept it from her, so that our relationship didn't colour her relationship with him. I am almost forty years old. Rory is a grown woman. When am I allowed to have a life of my own?"

"Oh, grow up, Lorelai," Emily snapped. "You do not stop protecting your children because they are grown."

"No," Lorelai disagreed. "What you do is give them the tools they need to protect themselves. Rory is capable of taking care of herself."

"Don't you care about how she's perceived?"

"I would hope that she's perceived as somebody who knows her own heart. I would hope that I've taught her that love doesn't fall along class lines. I would hope that she's accepting and warm and intelligent and strong. I want her to be somebody who loves people for who they are, not who she wants them to be."

Luke cringed at the sight of Lorelai's face: anger, hurt and sadness doing battle in her eyes.

"Is it any wonder that I've come to adore that girl?" Emily spit out and Luke reached for Lorelai's hand across the counter.

"She has never disappointed me!" Emily continued. "Never once has she broken my heart the way that you have."

"If I married Christopher, would you love me, Mother?" Lorelai asked in a voice so quiet that Luke had to strain to hear it.

There was a silence in the diner that was a little too long.

"I didn't think so," Lorelai whispered, and as her voice broke, Luke found his.

"I think you should leave, Emily."

The Gilmore matriarch watched them in silence for a moment.

"I was right," she decided. "The two of you are perfect for each other."

With that, she turned and walked out, the bell above the door sounding too bright.

"Well," Lorelai laughed bitterly. "You know, you should have let everyone stay. You could have charged them extra for the dinner theatre."

Luke didn't reply. He moved from behind the counter and pulled her gently from the stool, gathering her against him.

It was only then that the sobs of pent up anger, frustration and a deep hurt shook her and he held her close until they died away.

"Do you see what you've gotten yourself in to?" she asked him, shaking her head.

He kissed her softly before brushing the remaining tears away with the pads of his thumbs.

"I love you," he told her, keeping his eyes on hers. "I love you, Lorelai. No conditions. I love your intelligence and your strength. I love you for loving me, warts and all. I love you for knowing your own heart. I love you for you. I know it's not the same and I know it's not enough, but I do."

She started to cry again, and then abruptly stopped herself.

"I'm so tired of crying, Luke," she mumbled against his shoulder.

"I know," he soothed her, running his fingers through her hair. "I know."

"I love you," she exhaled, leaning into him, letting him absorb all of her weight. "It's not the same, but it's more than I deserve."

"No," he argued. "I wouldn't love you if you didn't deserve it."

She laughed at the statement.

"Okay," she finally allowed. "I love you, too. We both deserve this."

"God help us."


End file.
